Wild At Heart
by The Dead Masquerade
Summary: He could feel it. The moment that she stepped onto the island. She carried an almost overwhelming sense of power with her, he found it intoxicating and he just knew that she was the one. She was his.
1. The Beginning

Years ago when the mysterious tattoo first appeared on his hand, Galen Vaughn visited a seer he had heard of. He wanted to know what the tattoo was and why he was the only one who could see it. She had told him of the Brotherhood of the Five. A group of five hunters with one purpose; to kill as many vampires as possible to complete their mark so they could be led to where the immortal being Silas was buried and destroy him.

Out of any hunter in history, Vaughn had gotten the closest to completing it the mission given to them (at least until Jeremy Gilbert came to the island – but he had no plans to destroy Silas).

But there was also one other thing the seer had told him. She had told him that he would meet a descendant of the witch Questsiya, the one that had entombed Silas with the cure two thousand years ago.

The hunter didn't understand the relevance for that bit of information until he discovered that only a descendant of Questsiya would be able to perform the spell to get to Silas but that descendant had to be using a certain kind of magic called Expression.

When he wasn't killing vampires and trying to complete his mark, he was contacting every witch, seer and prophet he could find to try and learn more about Questsiya and her line of descendants. It took him years to find it (two thousand years' worth of descendants is hard to find and sort through) but he finally found out about the line of Bennett witches and their tie to the two thousand year old witch.

He had only managed to track down three of those Bennett witches.

There was Lucy Bennett, a witch who wanted nothing to do with vampires but became involved when she felt it was necessary. It wasn't her. She was still using traditional magic. He then found another, Abby Bennett but discovered she had been turned into a vampire and had lost all her magic but then he found her daughter, Bonnie Bennett.

The moment he said her name out loud, he knew it was her.

She was the one.

She was the one he needed (in more ways than one he soon found out).

Vaughn found out all he could about the young witch from Mystic Falls, Virginia and knowing she was the only one able to open the passage way to Silas' crypt was not the main reason he wanted her. From the moment she stepped foot on the island, he had been drawn to her like a moth to a flame. The essence of her power nearly drowned him and her beauty enthralled him.

Vaughn hadn't expected to become so taken with the young witch. When he first laid eyes on the witch he found that he could have spent hours imagining how his rough and calloused hands would feel brushing over her smooth brown skin, imagining how her small body would fit against his larger one, how she'd taste when his lips would finally capture hers.

He had gone after Damon Salvatore in hopes that it would draw her out, bring her to him. He'd take her to the cave where Silas was buried, she'd do the spell to open the passage way, he'd complete his mission and destroy Silas and then he'd finally be able to leave the island and he would take her with him.

But Vaughn had apparently misunderstood the nature of the relationship between the vampire and Bonnie. There was no love lost between the two of them. They only worked together for the sake of a mutual loved one.

Vaughn hoped that was enough to draw her out but he didn't have the chance to find out. He found her before she found him. Well, sort of. He had been leading Damon towards the cave where the Wishing Well was along with Silas' crypt when the tattoo on his arm began to fade signalling that Bonnie was already beginning the spell to open the passage way.

The hunter had to pick up the pace to get to the cave before the others got to it and messed up his plans by giving the cure to Elena Gilbert.

When he arrived at the cave he managed to hold off an attack from Damon and the newly arrived Original vampire, Rebekah and incapacitated the both of them before Damon's brother Stefan and Elena arrived. He used the rope already attached to the beams to get down to the bottom of the cavern and through the secret passage way that led to where Silas was buried.

When Vaughn entered Silas' crypt and his eyes immediately fell onto his witch – lying still on the ground, struggling to keep her green eyes open as she tried to ignore the pain coming from bleeding wound.

Her eyes flickered to his; he could see the confusion swimming around in them as she tried to figure out who the stranger who had just entered the crypt was. He saw worry flash across her face -mixing with the pain- and he knew she was concerned if her was another enemy.

He was tempted to ignore the rest of the inhabitants of the crypt and tend to her but this was the moment he had been waiting for; the one where he could finally complete his destiny and destroy Silas and maybe go back to having a normal, supernatural free life (doubtful – he loved killing vampires).

Vaughn gave her a lasting glance before he turned his attention towards a vampire feeding the hunter – his brother – to Silas. The vampire – too concerned with controlling the younger hunter and retrieving the cure - hadn't even noticed his presence which made it the perfect moment for Vaughn to pull out a stake and with speed too quick for an average human he pushed the stake through the vampire's back and placed a hand on her shoulder for leverage as he moved it deeper inside of her and pierced her heart.

Without another thought or care he pushed aside the vampire and let her fall to the hard ground with a thud. He turned back to Silas to see he had moved and his hands now on either side of the boy's head. Vaughn used his strength the pull back the new hunter and pushed him away from Silas and let him fall unconscious to the floor. He was still alive – but had lost a lot of blood.

Vaughn knew Jeremy Gilbert had vampire allies and knew he'd be fine once they got to him. His sister would heal him (he knew it was not Jeremy's sister who attacked him). He wasn't Vaughn's problem. The awakening immortal before him and the dying witch behind him however were.

The hunter snatched the box containing the cure from its place on Silas' stomach – he let go of it when he tried to drain Jeremy- and opened it and took a hold of the small vial inside. He didn't bother to study the ancient liquid inside and tore it open. Thankfully, Silas was still weak so it wasn't very difficult for Vaughn to control him as he forced the cure down the immortal being's throat.

Silas weakly struggled beneath him – trying to gain back control but Vaughn managed to overpower him thanks to his incredibly weakened state. Once the cure was gone the hunter retrieved a large knife from his belt and placed it against the now mortal Silas' throat, pressing down and the knife slowly began to cut through his throat. Vaughn kept pushing until he felt his knife hit the hard rock of Silas' tomb.

Silas' head rolled away from his body but Vaughn got a hold of it before it fell to the ground and placed it back on the rock plate. He pulled out the small bottle of gasoline that he had brought with him in his pack and poured it all over Silas before grabbing his lighter and tossing it onto him and stood back and watched as Silas' body erupted in flames.

As much as he wanted to, Vaughn didn't have time to revel in his accomplishment and instead he headed straight to his witch and knelt down beside her. He found where the bleeding was coming from and placed his hand over it and she winced at the pain from the pressure he was applying as he attempted to slow down the bleeding until he could patch her up properly.

"Wh-who?" was all she could manage to get out but he understood what she was trying to ask.

_Who are you?_

"All in good time, sweetheart," he said to her and his other hand gently brushed across her cheek. A small smile found its way to his lips at how soft her skin felt against his fingertips. "All you need to know is that you are safe with me and I am going to get you out of here."

Whether she believed him or not, she didn't struggle when he carefully lifted her up in his arms – holding her in such a way to keep some pressure on her wound.

"Jeremy," she weakly murmured.

"Will be fine," he assured her in a soothing tone as he began to make his way out of the crypt – leaving Silas to burn to ash in his wake.

Vaughn had managed to avoid the other two vampires who had gone down to find Silas and had though it took a while and a bit of effort – he also managed to pull both himself and Bonnie up out of the cavern and got her up onto the ledge where Damon Salvatore and the Original, Rebekah lay – still weakened from his attack on them.

"Bonnie?" Damon called as the young witch slumped over as Vaughn let go of her to pull himself up.

The blue eyed vampire slowly got up and tried to get to Bonnie but was stopped by the hunter who unleashed another attack on the vampire but while he was distracted doing that, Rebekah managed to crawl over to Bonnie.

Rebekah bit into her wrist and held it to Bonnie's mouth but by the time Vaughn had pushed Damon off the ledge and sent him flying down to the hard ground below, Bonnie had only consumed a small amount of Rebekah's blood. It was enough to heal up the wound, but not enough to give her strength back.

Vaughn put a stake in Rebekah's back and kicked her away from Bonnie before he knelt down, his hand lifting the back of Bonnie's shirt to inspect the now healed wound and he felt her shiver when he ran his fingertips over the clear skin.

"Well that's one way to heal it," he commented. Using vampire blood was not the preferred method in Vaughn's opinion but it was the most effective. He just had to make sure nothing happened to her within the next twenty four hours. "Can you stand?" he asked her and took her hands and gently pulled her up, his arm wrapping around her waist when she stumbled a little.

"Who are you?" she asked him again – this time able to finish her question.

"There is time for all this later but now we need to get out of here," he replied and reached out to her but she slapped his hand away.

"I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me who the hell you are and what the hell you did down there," she shot back and took a step away from him.

As much as Vaughn was beginning to love her spark, getting her out of here would have been a lot easier when she was wounded. He let out a heavy sigh, knowing she would not budge until he told her what she wanted to know.

"Can we walk and talk?" he asked her and motioned towards the exit. He knew it wouldn't be long until Damon recovered from his fall and his brother and girlfriend joined him and Vaughn hoped to be long gone by then.

He held his hand out for her to take and watched her as he studied his hand indecisively. Her eyes flickered to him and he gave her a reassuring smile, silently telling her that she can trust him.

Slowly and cautiously her hand reached out and took his hand. His grip tightened on her hand as he began to lead her out of the cave.

"Where are we going?" she asked him, squinted as they exited the dark cave and into the bright sun. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust.

"We're leaving the island," he told her and Bonnie's eyes widened.

"What?" she almost shouted and stumbled on the forest floor.

"Careful where you step, Bonnie," he said after he held her upright before she fell. "A lot of traps around here."

"How do you know my name?" she questioned him and he could sense a hint of fear in her voice.

He turned back to her and gave her a smile before speaking. "I know quite a bit about you, Bonnie Bennett. You're eighteen, from Mystic Falls; you're a powerful witch and descendant of Questsiya."

"How the hell do you know that?" she shot at him and tried to yank her hand from his but his grip didn't allow it.

"Later," was all he responded with and heard her let out a frustrated groan.

"No, now," she demanded and pulled back on his arm in an attempt to get him to stop. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Galen Vaughn and I'm part of The Five," he said to her. "Well, I used to be," he added and looked down to his arm where his tattoo used to be. After destroying Silas he couldn't help but wonder if that meant the end of The Five. Was he still a hunter?

"And down in the crypt, you…" she trialled off and he nodded his head.

"I destroyed Silas," he finished for her, an undertone of pride in his voice.

"By giving him the cure and setting him on fire?" he nodded again and Bonnie sighed.

"It wasn't meant for your friend, sweetheart," he told her, knowing she planned to hand the cure over to her friend. "Your ancestor created it for Silas, that's why she buried it with him."

Bonnie sighed again. "Yeah I know about all that we just thought it would more than one."

"Were you expecting a fountain?" he asked her with a chuckle and felt her eyes glaring at him. "Only one dose meant for only one being."

"Can you stop walking so fast?" Bonnie said a little out of breath and struggling to keep up with his long strides. Even more difficult with the aching from where Katherine had stabbed her.

Vaughn stopped abruptly and she nearly walked into him. "Does it still hurt?" he asked her with a concerned look.

"A little," she answered. "I guess Rebekah only managed to give me enough blood to heal it, not stop the pain," she finished and rubbed the tender spot.

"As much as I'd like to give you a moment to recover, time is not on our side right now," he said to her before lifting her up in his arms and continued to trek through the forest and towards the shore.

He needed to be long gone by the time her vampire friends recovered.

"What do you want with me?" she asked him, her head resting against his chest.

"I know some people who are rather worried about you, sweetheart," he answered and Bonnie gazed up at him with a curious look.

"So they send some stranger to kidnap me?" Vaughn chuckled. "You're not even going to tell me who it is, are you?" Bonnie questioned with an annoyed look.

Vaughn smirked down at her and shook his head. "Sorry sweetheart, I've been sworn to secrecy." A pout appeared on Bonnie's lips but she remained silent. "You should get some rest. It's a fair way to the shoreline and you look exhausted."

She gave a dry laugh. "Yeah that sounds like a great idea, sleeping in the arms of a stranger."

"These people care deeply about you and there is no way I am going to anger them by bringing any harm to you."

Vaughn makes a point not to anger witches. In fact, he was lucky that Bonnie's wound had temporarily frozen her powers otherwise this would have been **very** difficult.

"I made a promise to them that I'd keep you safe and that is exactly what I intend to do," he told her.

By the time he reached the shoreline where his boat was hidden, Bonnie had fallen asleep in his arms. He carefully placed her in the boat and got in after her. Thankfully, the sound of the motor didn't even faze the sleeping witch. Between the spell she had to perform and being stabbed by that vampire, he wasn't really surprised that she had passed out.

She never awoke the entire journey to his next destination.

xxx

**Next chapter will be much better than this one I promise (I'm not too good with first chapters)**

**I know the last thing I should be doing right now is starting another story when I have so much trouble actively updating all my others but this is only going to be a mini-series (no more than 10 chapters) so I don't see the harm in it and I couldn't help myself (and honestly, I couldn't even concentrate on my other stories because this one kept popping up in my head). As soon as the casting call for Vaughn came out I knew who I'd be shipping him with. I'm a Bonnie shipper whore after all :D **

**I hope you liked it and the twist I added to the episode. Sorry Katherine fans, I killed her off but Jeremy is still alive! This chapter was more of an introduction so it wasn't very long. Hopefully the next one will be though.**

**Any mistakes in this I apologise for and please leave a review and tell me what you think of it :D**

**I tried to keep most of this in Vaughn's point of view and next chapter will have Bonnie's thoughts on it and will have some background on Vaughn and will explain why Bonnie went with him so easily and acted so comfortable around him. And two surprise visitors for Bonnie ;)**

**I left a bit out of this chapter intentionally fyi and a bit of a rushed finish because I didn't want to give away too much for the next chapter but everything will be explain and more detail added :D**

**xxx**


	2. A New Day

"So much for giving Klaus the cure," Stefan muttered as he watched the remains of Silas' body burn.

Elena and Stefan had found a dead Katherine and unconscious Jeremy and a burning Silas inside the crypt. They could smell Bonnie's blood (even over the scent of the smoke that filled the crypt) but they couldn't find her anyway. Jeremy couldn't tell them much, he didn't really know what was going on around him when Katherine started feeding him to Silas but he told them Katherine had stabbed Bonnie.

"Well where is she?" Elena asked her brother as she looked around the crypt for any sign of her friend but found nothing aside from the blood which wasn't a good sign as far as Elena was concerned.

"The hunter," Stefan said when realisation hit him. "He was the only other one down here. He must have taken her."

"What would he want with her? She's not a vampire," Elena stated with a look of concern for her missing friend.

"Maybe he needs her for a spell?" Stefan suggested but it didn't make Elena feel any better.

The doppelganger let out a sigh. "Let's just get out of here and hope he hasn't gotten too far with her," Elena said and helped Jeremy leave the smoky crypt while Stefan followed closely behind them. Elena kept a protective hand on Jeremy's arm as she led him through the cave and back towards the well.

The three of them made their way through the cave as quickly as possible, eager to start searching for their lost friend but another stop in the road came in the form of Damon feeding from Shane near the entrance to the well.

"What are you doing?" Elena demanded when she saw Damon leaning over Shane's body.

"It's not like we need him anymore, plus he was already half dead," Damon shrugged and kicked the now dead professor aside. "And I needed a little pick me up after the beating I took from Buffy's male counterpart." He got to his feet. "Time for some bad news, he's got –"

"Bonnie," Stefan finished for his brother. "Yeah… we kind of gathered."

The four of them got out of the cavern and Stefan removed headed straight for Rebekah and pulled the stake out of her back.

"Are you alright?" he asked and helped her sit up once she recovered – which thankfully did not take long.

She nodded. "I will be." The blonde turned her attention to Elena. "He took Bonnie with him."

"We know," Elena responded with a sigh. "I hope she's okay. Jer said she's badly wounded."

"Was," Rebekah corrected and took the blood bag Stefan handed to her. "I managed to give her some of my blood before he put the stake in my back." She told them then rolled her eyes when Elena gave her a surprised look. "What? I'm not that heartless and I hold no grudge against the witch."

"Her name is Bonnie," Jeremy snapped to Rebekah.

"Whatever," she muttered and stood up after drinking the blood bag Stefan gave her. "At least now she isn't completely defenceless against him and whatever he wants from her."

"Do you think he'll take her off the island?" Elena asked to no one in particular.

"I doubt he'd keep her here when he knows we could find her," Stefan answered and Elena frowned.

"I have a crazy idea," Rebekah spoke up, her tone filled with fake enthusiasm. "How about you shut your mouths and move your asses and try to catch up with him?"

Elena sent the Original a glare before she looked to the others. "She's right, we need to get a move on before he manages to leave the island and we lose him."

"I'd say heading towards the shoreline would be our best bet," Stefan said as they headed towards the exit.

"If only we weren't on an island surrounded by water then that may actually be a good idea," Rebekah mocked.

Stefan rolled his eyes at the blonde vampire. "Of course it's not the best option but right now it's our only one."

"That's still a lot of ground to cover. He could have headed in any direction," Jeremy interjected.

"We need to split up then," Rebekah stated and began to separate from the group – heading in the opposite direction. "I'll head in this direction," she called back to them.

"Do you think she'll even bother to try and find them?" Jeremy asked Elena as they watched Rebekah's figure fade through the trees.

"Who knows," Elena muttered with a glare towards the Original then turned back to the Salvatore's.

"She's right, we should split up," Stefan said to his three companions. "Elena, you and Jeremy head that way and Damon and I will go that way," Stefan said and Elena nodded, taking a hold of Jeremy's arm and led him in the way Stefan pointed.

"What'll happen if we don't find her?" Jeremy asked her as they trudged through the forest, careful to avoid any traps that may be lying around.

"I really have no idea," Elena answered truthfully. She did not want to leave the island without Bonnie so if they didn't find her; she didn't know what she'd do.

She's rather not think about it at all.

xxx

Bonnie's eyes fluttered open as she heard a faint voice softly calling her name and a hand gently running through her hair. She looked up at the blurry figure above her.

"Abby?" she croaked out as her vision cleared out and she saw who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hi, Bonnie," she smiled and her hand brushed some of Bonnie's dishevelled hair away from her face.

"What is going on? What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked her mother and sat up, groaning a little at the slight burning in her lower back. She could still feel the pain of Katherine's attack, thought thankfully not as bad.

"Are you alright?" she asked with concern and helped her sit up. "Galen told me what happened; I can give you some more blood if you want."

Bonnie looked at her mother with confusion until she began to recall what had happened after the incident with Katherine in Silas' crypt. The hunter - Galen Vaughn she remembered he told her – had taken her with him when he left the island. She remembered he said something about people who wanted her back.

"You sent him to get me?" she said to Abby.

"Not so much, it was more of a deal. We tell him where he needed to go so long as he brought you back with him," Abby told her. "I knew you would go with them when they figured out where the cure was."

"We?" Bonnie questioned.

"I promise you that I will tell you everything but after three days on an island, I'm sure you'll want a shower and some decent food."

"That definitely sounds good," she replied with a slight laugh.

Camping out in the wilderness was never something that Bonnie considered to be fun, but add in a crazy professor who was hell bent on raising an immortal being to bring back the dead (and said being nearly killing her ex-boyfriend) and a psychotic killer vampire who stabbed her in the back and it made the camping trip from hell.

Abby reached for a bag on the other bed and placed it in front of Bonnie. "I got you some clothes and such so take as long as you need and I'll wait for you out here," she smiled.

Bonnie took the bag with a grateful smile before she headed towards the bathroom. She turned on the shower and stripped off the dirty clothes and tossed them straight into the bin that was next to the sink. They were so caked in dirt and grime that she wouldn't even bother washing them.

She stepped into the shower and got under the hot spray. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back under the spray and closed her eyes in content as the warm water washed over her.

After almost four days without a proper shower, this was nearly heaven for Bonnie. She took her time washing her hair and smothering lavender scented body wash all over to get rid of the woodsy feel and smell.

Her shower ended after twenty or so minuets and she wrapped herself in one of the fluffy white hotel towels and stepped out into the steamed up bathroom – feeling a lot better than when she first entered the bathroom.

Bonnie blow dried her hair and put it up in a messy pony tail and pulled out the only clothes in the bag Abby had given her - being a pair of dark wash slim fit jeans, a tight fitting purple top and paired them with a black cropped jacket and ankle boots that she also found.

"Feeling better?" Abby asked Bonnie when she walked back into the main room.

"Much," Bonnie replied and placed the now empty bag on the bed. "Thanks for the clothes."

"We got you more but they are in Lucy's car," Abby told her. "You'll head back to New Orleans with her and Galen later today."

"I should have guessed I wouldn't be returning home today," Bonnie muttered and sat on the end of the bed. "But why is he coming? I thought he was just there to snatch and grab?"

"Like I said, everything will be explained when we meet with the two of them soon. They are waiting for us now," she replied and sent a message to Lucy, telling her she and Bonnie were on their way. "Are you ready?" she asked as she pocketed her phone.

Bonnie nodded and followed Abby out of the hotel lobby and down the street towards a local café where Abby said they would meet Lucy and Galen.

She wasn't sure why but she was beginning to feel a little nervous about seeing the hunter again. Looking back, Bonnie found the entire thing to be a strange situation. The moment he entered the crypt and their eyes met, Bonnie was washed over with a sense of familiarity with him, it wasn't like what she felt when she first met Lucy – it wasn't a familial sense but almost like she was meant to know him, meant to trust him. That's why she didn't try to run from him (not like she could anyway), she actually felt safe with him.

"Are you hungry?" Abby asked her - her question snapping Bonnie back from her thoughts.

"Starved," she answered with a grin, her stomach already growling from all the sweet aromas that floated around the café.

Abby led her towards the table where she saw her Cousin Lucy conversing with the man that had been occupying her thoughts. Her heart rate picked up when he looked her way, his eyes gazing upon her intently.

There was something in his gaze that she couldn't quite put her finger on but whatever it was, it caused a blush to creep its way to Bonnie's face and she looked away from him to keep her composure.

Lucy stood from the table when she and Abby neared and she wrapped her arms around Bonnie. "It's good to see you again Bonnie," she said and hugged her tightly before letting go and sitting back down.

Abby sat down next to Lucy and Bonnie took the seat across from her and next to Galen. She gave him a shy smile but otherwise said nothing him.

Bonnie looked at Abby and waited for her mother to begin talking but before Abby would tell her anything, she made Bonnie order some food - not that she was complaining. After three days of crappy camp food, this would be a welcomed change.

After eating, Bonnie turned her attention to Abby. "You said you'd explain everything so explain. Why am I here?"

"So we can help you," Lucy answered before Abby could.

"The last time I saw you, you were out of control and we" – she pointed to herself and Lucy – "want to help you gain that control back."

"I wasn't out of control, I was angry," Bonnie corrected her. "You were preventing me from helping my friends and now you are doing it again."

"They don't need your help Bonnie. They have no threat against them," Abby responded. "Vaughn took care of the only threat you and your friends had."

"Which you should be thankful for because Silas would have been a bigger threat to you then to any of your friends because of what that Professor had been teaching you," Lucy jumped in.

"How did you even know where I was or where the cure was buried?" Bonnie asked her cousin and mother.

"Well when Abby came to me and told me what you have been messing with and who had been teaching it to you I did a bit of digging and found some werewolf chick who knew a bit about him," Lucy told her. "The good professor seemed to have spilled all his secrets to her and she was only happy to tell them to me. He pissed her off I think."

"Around that time, I found out someone was digging through our ancestry," Abby took over and gave a pointedly look to Vaughn who just shrugged. "And when he finished trying to kill me we talked and came up with a deal."

"Why were you looking through our history?" Bonnie asked him.

"I was told I would need a descendant of Quetsiya," he answered. "It took me years just to find your last name."

"Found it just the right time though," Lucy stated.

"How did Katherine fit into all this?" Bonnie asked.

"She was working with the werewolf girl," Lucy answered and looked to Vaughn. "Was she on the island?" he nodded. "And?"

"She's dead," Vaughn answered and Lucy nearly choked on her coffee when she couldn't stop herself from laughing.

"Served the bitch right," she uttered with joy. "Oh how I wish I could have been there to see it."

Bonnie wished she could have been conscious enough to see it. Everything that happened in the crypt was a bit blurry to Bonnie, it felt almost like a dream. One second she was talking to Jeremy about trying to find another way to get the cure without raising Silas and the next she felt a searing pain as Katherine stabbed her with a knife and threw her roughly to the floor.

Katherine deserved what she got. Bonnie only wished that it could have been a little less quick and a little more painful for the vampire that had caused them a lot of grief since her arrival in Mystic Falls all those months ago. At least she left eventually or more specifically she ran away with her tail between her legs when Klaus arrived.

"I should contact Elena or Caroline, let them know that I'm alright and not being held hostage by some psycho hunter," she turned to Vaughn besides her and gave him a shy half smile. "No offence."

"None taken," he winked at her and Bonnie could have cursed herself when she began to feel her face heat up a bit.

Abby gave her a look before she spoke. "You're done with them, Bonnie. You're done risking your life for them."

"Abby – "

"You could have died yesterday," Abby cut her off. "So long as you are around Elena Gilbert, your life is at risk and I'm not going to allow that anymore."

"A little hard to do that when I live not ten minutes away from her," she retorted. "And besides, Elena doesn't force me to do all this. I do it on my own accord. If I have all this power why can't I use it to protect the people I love?"

"I get that, Bonnie, more than anyone I get that but there comes a point where you have to stop putting everyone else first and start thinking about yourself," Lucy jumped in. "And the more you jump in to protect them, the more they will just expect you to do it."

"They don't expect me to do it," Bonnie defended her friends.

"From what I've been told, that is exactly what they do," Lucy said and took a sip of her coffee.

"The Salvatore's treat you like you are an easy solution to their problems. That's all you are to them," Abby said and Bonnie frowned at her. "You have done so much for them and have kept them alive and yet they still treat you like you're nothing."

"They act like your magic is their magic," Lucy added. "A lot of vampires act that way towards witches. They act like they are entitled to our magic when in fact the only thing they are entitled to is a wooden stake through the heart."

"I'll drink to that," Vaughn spoke for the first time in a while. Bonnie almost forgot that he was even here he'd been that quiet.

"And what about my dad?" she questioned Abby and rested her elbows atop of the table. "You might have been fine with running out on him but I'm not." Bonnie knew that would have been a knife in the gut to Abby but she really didn't care right now.

"Rudy knows everything," Abby replied, ignoring Bonnie's comment. "After you left with everyone he called me. That's how I knew you were on the island."

Abby always knew Bonnie would end up on the island; it was only a matter of when so when Rudy called her up the other day to tell her about Bonnie leaving for a few days she knew exactly where she was heading and luckily for her, Vaughn was already stationed on the island by that point.

"So you're saying that my dad is perfectly okay with the three of you kidnapping me?" Bonnie questioned with an incredulous look directed towards her mother.

"Kidnapping is such a strong term," Lucy cringed.

"Of course he's not okay with it but he knows that at the moment, it's the best thing for you," Abby replied and reached across the table to cover Bonnie's hand but the younger witch pulled back at the last second.

Bonnie sighed. "I need some air," she said and excused herself from the table – needing to get away from her mother and cousin just for a short while so she could collect her thoughts.

She nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her lower back. "It's best you not be alone right now," Galen's voice filled her ears as he steered her towards the café's exit, holding the door open for her to walk out first.

"Better you than Abby or Lucy I guess," she responded with a sigh. "I can't believe they are doing this," she muttered as the two of them crossed the street and headed towards the small grassy park area.

"They're your family," he said and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "They just want to keep you safe."

"Yet neither of them were there for me when I needed them most. Abby left when I was just three and I've only met Lucy once. They don't get to just walk back into my life and start dictating what I should and shouldn't do," she vented. "They might be my family by blood by they are not my family. My family is back in Mystic Falls." She paused and turned to look at him with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I'm sure the last thing you want to hear is a teenager venting about her family."

He gave her a smile. "It's fine, sweetheart. Vent all want." Mostly he just wanted her to keep talking; he was beginning to love the sound of her voice.

Bonnie bit back her smile. He hadn't called her that since she passed out in his arms on the island and she found she loved the sound of it.

"I'll try to keep the parental drama to a minimum for your sake," she said to him with a light laugh.

Vaughn pulled his phone out of his back pocket and handed it to her. "Call your friends, let them know you're alright," he said to her when she gave him a look of confusion.

"I thought Abby said they weren't allowed to know where I was," she raised an eye brow at him.

"You don't strike me as the type who listens to her mother," he smirked. "You don't have to tell them where you are just let them know that you are safe and with your mother. That should put them -and you- at some ease," he said and let her take the phone from his hand, her fingers brushing over his gently.

"Thank you," she said and gave him a soft smile.

Vaughn put a bit of distance between them, far enough to give her some privacy but close enough to get to her quickly if needed.

Bonnie punched in the familiar number and held the phone to her ear and waited for her him to pick up.

"Hello?" the familiar voice floated through the receiver and Bonnie instantly found herself smiling. She always found Matt's voice incredibly warm and comforting.

"Hey Matt," she said softly and she could practically hear him straightening up.

"Bonnie?" she could hear the relief in his tone, obviously happy that he has finally heard from her. "Where are you? Everyone is worried sick about you. They said there was a hunter on the island that took you. Are you alright?" he shot her a bunch of questions and she couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm fine, no need to worry, I'm with my mother and my cousin, they sent him to get me from the island, he didn't hurt me, he's harmless and he'll keep me safe," she answered all his questions at once aside from the 'where are you' one. "So I take it everyone got home safely?"

"Yeah everyone expect you. Where are you?"

Bonnie sighed. "Matt, I wish I could tell you but I can't but I just need you to believe me when I say that I am safe. Abby doesn't want anyone to know where I am she just wants to keep me safe and help me get over what Shane has done and taught me," she explained to him.

"Will you come back?" Matt asked.

"Of course I will but for now I do believe my mother is right. I need to get my head sorted out. Shane really messed me up," Bonnie said with a frown. She felt stupid when she thought about Shane. She had trusted him and he let her down. He just used her to further his own goals. Like pretty much everyone else in her life.

Matt was silent on the other line for a moment. "I take it this is all we are going to hear from you until you figure it all out," he said knowingly.

"I'll come back I promise," she said and swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "Give my love to everyone and I'll contact you again soon."

She ended the call before Matt got a chance to say anything else. She took a few moments to collect her emotions before she turned around and walked back to where the hunter was waiting for her.

She handed the phone back to him and tried to muster a thankful smile but he saw right through it.

"You okay?" he asked and placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. Vaughn knew first-hand what it was like to leave friends behind.

When he discovered what he was and what he was destined for, he had cut all ties with his friends and family. He knew he'd be making enemies with his new life and thought it'd be best for his loved ones not to be a part of it.

It was hard for him at first, but it was for best in the long run. There had been vampires who looked for ways to get to him but failed in their search because of the choice he made and for that reason he did not regret his decision.

Bonnie took in a deep breath and nodded and tried to ignore the feeling of his hand burning into her shoulder. "Abby is right. It's for the best," she stated. "This Expression magic inside of me is strong and I don't want to hurt anyone else with it."

xxx

Matt put his phone back in his pocket after his surprise call from Bonnie before slamming shut the door of his truck and running inside the Gilbert house where everyone had gathered. Everyone was seated (or stood) in the living room, discussing ways where they find Bonnie.

"I just got a call from Bonnie," he announced right away and everyone's head snapped in his direction (something Matt may have found humours under different circumstances).

"Is she okay?" Caroline was the first to speak.

Matt nodded. "She said she's fine," he answered. "The hunter that took her, she said he was sent there by her mother."

"That makes sense," Jeremy muttered to himself and Elena turned to look at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked him, unsure by what he meant by it made sense.

"The night I went to Bonnie when Kol tried to kill us, Abby showed up. She refused to let Bonnie leave. She said Bonnie was done helping you," Jeremy explained and a hurt expression crossed Elena's face.

"Did she tell you where she was?" Stefan asked Matt.

Matt shook his head. "She wouldn't say but she told me to tell you all that she's fine and we shouldn't worry."

"Is she coming back?" Caroline asked with sad eyes. She didn't know if she could handle not seeing Bonnie ever again.

"She said she would and that she'd contact us again soon but Abby wants her there so she can help her through what Shane did," Matt relayed what Bonnie told him about Abby wanting to help with her Expression magic.

"We know where Abby lives so we can just go bring Bonnie back home," Damon

Stefan shook his head at his brother, dismissing his suggestion. "Do you really think Abby would take Bonnie somewhere we could find her?" he paused. "This obviously isn't just about what Shane has done but all of us as well. Abby doesn't want Bonnie to be around us."

"Can't really blame her," Caroline jumped in. "You and Damon are the reason she is a vampire and no longer a witch. It's not that hard to believe that she wants Bonnie far away from all of us because of that. She's probably worried the same thing will happen to Bonnie."

Stefan frowned at Caroline's words. He wasn't proud of what he and Damon did to Abby, but he wouldn't do that to Bonnie. They might not be what they once were, but he still considered her to be a friend.

"It's worth a try," Damon shot back to his brother and took no noticed of Caroline's comment of his involvement in Abby Bennett's new found vampirism. "She may not be as smart as you're giving her credit for."

"Caroline's right," Stefan said. "Abby wants to keep her safe from us."

"She also said her cousin was there," Matt added with a hint of confusion clouding his face. He didn't know Bonnie had any cousins but then again he didn't know much about her family on Bonnie's mother's side aside from her Grams.

"The witch that helped Katherine at the masquerade ball, Lucy I think he name was," Jeremy spoke up, remembering back to that night when he drove Bonnie home. She told him that the witch was a Bennett, her cousin. "She's Bonnie's cousin."

"At least she's safe with," Carline said, relieved her friend was alright and with people who wouldn't hurt her.

xxx

When Lucy led Bonnie away to the car, Abby grabbed a hold of Vaughn's arm, gripping much tighter than necessary. The hunter spun around to face her, his eye brow raised – silently questioning what she was doing.

"I don't really give two damns about the hunter's curse so if you keep looking at my daughter like that, I will kill you," she threatened with a low and dangerous voice.

Abby was not blind. From the moment he handed her over last night and all this morning, she had seen the looks he had been giving her daughter. How he inched closer to her any chance he got. Abby had to restrain herself from ripping the hunter's arms off when his hand lingered far too long and far too low on Bonnie's back when he led her out of the café.

Vaughn gave her a humorous smirk, not taking her threat seriously, and wrenched his arm from her grip before sauntering off without a response. It was very rare for Vaughn to ever feel threatened by a vampire and there was nothing he found threatening about Abby Bennett-Wilson (aside from the fact that she is a mother but from what he understands, she's a rather crappy one).

A low growl rumbled in Abby's chest as she watched Vaughn approached her daughter and her niece. She nearly saw red when she saw him place a hand on Bonnie's shoulder in what Bonnie would have interpreted as a gesture of comfort but Abby interpreted it as a deliberate attempt to piss her off.

Abby was beginning to think she made a big mistake involving Galen Vaughn in her daughter's life.

xxx

**Wow! I am really stunned by the feedback this fic has gotten. I really was not expecting all that for just the first chapter so I hope this one was good and enjoyable for you all! **

**Abby and Lucy are the two mysterious visitors and they will both play a big role in this fic.**

**Sorry for any mistakes, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please review to let me know what you think!**

**Next chapter we have Bonnie arriving in New Orleans with Lucy and Vaughn and they try to help her with her Expression magic and there will be some delicious Vaughn/Bonnie tension which will be very fun to write! **

**Plus more.**

**xxx**


	3. New Places, Familiar Faces

A day after arriving in New Orleans and settling into Lucy's home, she, Lucy and Galen (who stayed with them at Lucy and Abby's request) sat around the dining room table in Lucy's kitchen once the older witch had gotten off the phone with Abby.

Abby didn't go with them to New Orleans. While they said their goodbyes outside the car, she told Bonnie that it would be better (safer) for her not to be around while Galen was, what with his strong kill every vampire he comes across instinct and all – but she would visit and call in regularly and trusted that she was in very good hands.

But Bonnie knew Jamie was a big part of the reason Abby wasn't coming with them. She couldn't help the resentment she felt build up inside of her over that. She understood that Abby and Jamie had more of a bond then Abby and herself, but Abby was her mother and the thought that she'd rather be with someone else kind of hurt her.

She knew it wasn't Jamie's fault but she could not help but feel resentment towards him. Abby had chosen him over her. She chose to raise him instead of coming back to her daughter and husband.

At least she was trying to make up for it now, and that's all Bonnie could ask for really. She'd never get the relationship she wished for with Abby (she'd have to be present for that) but she was happy to have her mother in her life, even if it wasn't in the way she had wished for.

"What did she say?" Bonnie asked her cousin, eager to hear what her mother had planned to help her.

"She has contacted an old friend of hers, another witch, who also has dealt with Expression," Lucy stated. "She has agreed to help you, she will contact other witches and they will be ready to do the ritual by the next full moon."

"Why the full moon?" Vaughn asked Lucy.

"They will harness the energy of the full moon to help them in the ritual," she explained to the hunter and to Bonnie. "A little extra boost of power never hurts when dealing with Expression."

"Are you going to be part of it?" Bonnie asked her with a bit of hope. She thought it would be nice to have at least one person she knew she could trust taking part.

Lucy shook her head and Bonnie frowned. "No, but I will be there for support. It'll just be best if I'm not part of the ritual," she said to Bonnie with a small smile.

"Why's that? What's going to happen?" the younger witch felt the nerves start to well up inside of her.

Lucy bit down on her lip, picking her next words carefully. The older Bennett had been present in an Expression cleansing ritual before and had taken part in one; the screams from the tainted witches still haunt her to this day.

It was a painful ritual.

Lucy would risk ruining it if she were part of the circle. She would not be able to handle her own flesh and blood's cries of pain while knowing she was part of the reason Bonnie would be feeling the pain.

"I won't lie to you," she started, her voice careful. "From what I have seen, it will hurt. You have to let the spirits back in and they won't make it easy for you."

Bonnie scoffed before speaking bitterly. "Of course they wouldn't, I seem to be the one they love to push around the most."

"They don't like the lengths you go to to protect your friends and the vampires," Lucy told her. She was well aware of Bonnie's difficulties with the Spirits and how much they loved to intervene in matters that really did not concern them. "And I can't say that I don't agree with them in that."

Bonnie took things to a whole new level.

"It's not like they didn't ally themselves with vampires when they were alive, Emily did everything Katherine told her to," Bonnie responded.

"Sometimes they make us tempting offers," Lucy admitted almost shamefully. "Katherine offered Emily protection for our line for as long as she lived."

"So it's going to be painful?" Bonnie asked, getting back on topic.

"I wish it wasn't but I'm going to be there."

"And I will be too," Vaughn cut Lucy off from beside Bonnie, his hand covering hers on the table.

"We'll make sure nothing goes wrong," Lucy said, her eyes flickering between her cousin and the hunter next to her.

"What could go wrong?" nerves found their way back to Bonnie's stomach.

"I have never even heard of a ritual going wrong so don't worry about that," Lucy responded with a chuckle.

"But if something goes wrong," Bonnie pushed.

"Then I will be there to get you out of there," Vaughn replied and squeezed her hand gently, savouring the soft smile that appeared on the young witch's lips. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"We won't let anything happen to you," Lucy corrected hm.

"Why can't I just keep using Expression?" Bonnie asked Lucy.

"Because it's incredibly dangerous and nearly impossible to control," Lucy answered.

"But I do a pretty good job of it, it's not so bad when you understand it," Bonnie tried to reason but was quickly shut down.

"You do not understand Expression, believe me."

Rarely anyone understands Expression and nearly everyone underestimates its limits. If a witch is not cleansed quickly, it rarely ends well for them. It has been the cause of so many deaths among the witch community and Lucy wasn't about to let her cousin join that already too long list.

"Just try to keep your magic usage to a minimum and the ritual should run smoothly," she tried to comfort Bonnie.

"But still with a lot of pain?" Lucy gave her a small nod and Bonnie let out a sigh. "I need to get some air," she mumbled before she excused herself from them.

Lucy saw that Vaughn was about to go after Bonnie but she grabbed his wrist and waited until the sounds of Bonnie's footsteps had faded completely before she let go and spoke again. "So Abby had a rather strange request of me before we left," she said while picking at her nails, not paying him any attention.

"And what was that?" Vaughn responded as he leant back in his chair and folded his arms across his broad chest.

Lucy's eyes flickered up to him, a slight smile playing on the corner of her lips. "To watch out for you around Bonnie," she said. "Didn't exactly get what she meant by that at the time but now I do." She rested her elbows on the table and kept her eyes trained on the hunter across from her. "I see it now."

Vaughn arched a brow and waited for the witch to continue.

"The way you look at her like she's the only one you see, how you always have to be close to her…" Lucy trailed off and her eyes narrowing slightly at him, waiting for him to jump in and try to defend himself but he didn't so she continued. "I'm not going to tell you to keep your eyes and hands off her; I'm not going to threaten you to keep your distance. I want you around her."

Bonnie had a lot to learn about the supernatural world and Lucy thought that Vaughn would be the perfect person to teach her about it. He saw it similar to how Lucy did. Everyone was an enemy until they proved otherwise, and Bonnie would need to learn that, especially in this town.

Lucy also knew that Vaughn would protect Bonnie at whatever cost and given the situation of the French Quarter and the witches, that was something Bonnie would desperately need.

He would protect her, she could see it his eyes and that is all Lucy wanted.

"I wouldn't have left her side even if you threatened me to," he responded.

"Do me a favour, then?" she requested and he nodded his head. "Get her out of the house for a while, I have to contact him," she said with an annoyed sigh.

He was the reason why she was barely here in the first place, him and his absurd rules about witches and their craft. Lucy despised that she had to ask permission to perform the ritual to help her cousin but New Orleans was home to some of the most powerful of witches and she would need their help.

"And be careful that she doesn't use any magic," she added. "And keep her safe."

She had no doubts that he would.

xxx

Vaughn found Bonnie a little while later seated cross legged on the couch in front of the TV.

"You okay, sweetheart?" he asked and sat down beside her; turning his body side on to face her.

"Not really," she answered honestly. She had felt uneasy since the conversation with Lucy about the ritual to cleanse her of Expression.

"You want to talk?" he asked her.

"No, it's fine," she shook his offer off. "I don't want to bother you with my problems."

Vaughn's hand touched her leg just above her knee. "You aren't bothering me," he assured her. "I came looking for you and I want you to talk to me," he gave her leg a gentle squeeze.

Bonnie could feel the warmth of his hand through the fabric of her jeans and she managed to refrain herself from frowning when he moved his hand away. Straight away she missed the heat from his hand.

"It's the ritual," she began. "It just has me a little freaked out is all."

"I'm sure it's not as bad as you're thinking it will be," he tried to console her but it wasn't really working for her.

As soon as Bonnie heard the spirits would be involved in this ritual, she just knew that'd make this painful for her. Any chance they got to torture her they took it. They were the reasons she got into Expression in the first place. They drove her to it so why should she have to pay the price?

"I'm just tired of being in pain," she confessed and when she saw the confused look on Galen's face, she elaborated. "I've been in nonstop pain ever since being a witch whether it is emotional or physical," she let out a sigh and tried to keep her voice steady. "And I don't think I can handle any more of it and the good thing about Expression magic is that I never had to feel like that."

Expression was something that eventually just came easy to her, once she learnt how to control it (sort of) and knew the risks she felt good about having it. She didn't want to give it up and go back to regular spirit magic and have them monitoring her every move, punishing her whenever she does something they don't approve of.

Bonnie bit down on her lip and waited for him to respond.

"I didn't realise magic could be so restrictive," he commented. Vaughn was not well educated when it came to witches and their abilities, he knew that they could be powerful and to be cautious around them but he didn't know much else.

"I don't think it's meant to be, but for me it is," she replied.

Bonnie knew that the amount of magic she had been using was much more than what she should have been. She has only been a witch barely over a year and she has dabbled in things that witches twice her experience haven't. But then she figured most witches didn't have a doppelganger best friend that always needed saving from vampires.

"More than half the stuff I do, I shouldn't be doing," she said. "I should still be floating feathers and lighting candles with my mind, I shouldn't be trying to wake up a two thousand year old immortal creature or constantly fighting against vampires to save the people I love."

Don't get her wrong, she was more than happy to do what it took to save those she cared about but sometimes she wished that she could just be a regular witch that only had to worry about not exposing herself to the public or mixing the wrong ingredients in a potion and turning her hair green or something.

She didn't want to be the all mighty powerful witch that had built herself a reputation in the supernatural world.

She just wanted to be Bonnie.

"I know it's terrible, but I'm glad to be away from them right now," she admitted, more so to herself. "I can finally just relax and not have to worry about magic or fighting the latest creature that wants to threaten everyone."

She wasn't Buffy for crying out loud. There was only so much she could handle and she was soon to reach her breaking point if she remained there any longer and who knows what would have happened if she did.

"Would you like to get out for a bit?" he asked her suddenly. Aside from the fact that Lucy needed to speak with Marcel, Vaughn felt the need to get away for a while and he was sure Bonnie felt the same.

He didn't take her for someone who liked to be cooped up indoors all day. He also wanted to talk to her some more.

"You mean I'm not under house arrest?" she shot back, her voice full of humour.

Vaughn chuckled. "Of course you're not, sweetheart," he responded and stood up from the couch and offered her his hand.

She took his extended hand and he pulled her up off the couch with very little effort. Bonnie had expected him to drop her hand once she got to her feet but he surprised her when he only tightened his grip and began to lead her towards the front of the house.

"Shouldn't we tell Lucy?" she asked him as the neared the front door, though she was more distracted by how nice her hand felt in his than letting her cousin know she was leaving the house for a bit with the gorgeous hunter.

"I already let her know I was going to take you out," he sent her grin that made her blush and look away from him.

Bonnie grinned back and caught up with his strides, loving how perfect her hand fit in his.

xxx

Bonnie and Vaughn had been gone for an hour when Lucy answered her front door after hearing three knocks and she made no effort to hide her hatred for the vampire standing on the other side of the door.

"Lucy!" He greeted her cheerfully like they were old friends. He was like that to everyone.

He was charming, friendly and calm but Lucy (and every other witch in town) could always see the through that façade and saw him for what he really was; a cruel, vicious and power hungry vampire.

"How is my favourite with today?" he asked her and stepped inside of her home without any hassle from invisible barriers.

Another rule he had enforced, access to the home of every witch in town so they had nowhere to hide.

"I've been better," she replied and closed the door behind him.

"I haven't seen you around here for a while," he commented and followed her into the main room of the house.

"I've been helping out family," she told him while he made himself comfortable. "Which is why I have called you here today."

He gave her a look and urged her to continue.

"My cousin has gotten herself in a pretty messy situation involving Expression magic," she began to explain to him. "She was manipulated into learning it by someone who was working under the influence of Silas."

Thankfully Marcel knew all about the story of Silas so Lucy didn't have to delve too deep into the story so he could understand just what kind of situation Bonnie had gotten herself into.

"I've heard rumours that Silas has been destroyed," he jumped in. "Is that true?"

Lucy nodded. "Yes, by one of the members of the Brotherhood of the Five," she said. "My Aunt and I also enlisted his help a while back to help with Bonnie."

"And what would a hunter gain out of that?"

"The information he wanted. We gave him all he needed to defeat Silas, all he had to do was bring Bonnie back with him."

"I'm assuming the hunter is Galen Vaughn," Marcel said and Lucy nodded.

Marcel knew of well of the hunter, he had caused a lot of trouble when he first arrived in New Orleans but they had since come to an agreement a while back. They leave each other alone.

"And where is your cousin?" he asked Lucy. "I'd like to meet her."

The Bennett witch felt her skin crawl at the thought of Bonnie meeting Marcel. She had planned to keep her cousin far, far away from 'king' of New Orleans.

"That's not going to happen," she shot down his request quickly. "I just need twelve witches to help with the ritual, we have them organised we just need your permission to help cleanse Bonnie of the Expression."

Lucy dug her nails into her palms to keep herself from blowing up on the vampire across from her. Having to ask permission to use magic made her furious. It wasn't right. Their magic was their own and they shouldn't have to ask some vampire permission to use it.

"When will this ritual take place?" he questioned and leant forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"The next full moon," she answered. "Two weeks away."

"I want to meet her," he said again. "And I want to be present at the ritual, just to keep an eye on my witches," he said with a smirk that Lucy would have loved nothing more than to wipe off his face permanently.

"Well she's not here right now," she replied. "I made sure of that."

"I'm starting to think that you don't like me very much," he stated and Lucy resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the vampire.

"You're only just started to figure that out?" she shot back at him. "I loathe you, Marcel."

Marcel feigned a hurt look but couldn't help but chuckle at the witch. Lucy was definitely his favourite. He hoped she never crossed him, it be a shame to kill her. Such a waste it would be.

He stood from his seat. "I will need names of the witches participating in this ritual and I will be present when it happens."

He didn't trust the witches. He may have them wrapped around his finger but he still didn't trust them. Given the opportune moment they would try to bring him down but he wouldn't let that happen.

"When I have them, you'll be the first to know," she said to him. "Now, I believe you can show yourself out."

"Well then," Marcel started and straightened out his jacket. "I shall be seeing you and your cousin very soon then," a smirk began to form on his face. "And I look forward to meeting her."

Lucy waited until she heard the front door close before she rose from her seat and made her way to the liquor cabinet to pour herself a nerve calming drink. Out of all the vampire's she had come across in her time, Marcel unnerved her the most.

At first glance he looked like someone who you could trust, someone who was friendly but underneath that façade was a lethal creature waiting to strike at any given moment for no apparent reason.

He was the type of person who would kill you with a grin on his face. He could turn a public execution into a party.

He was the type of person that needed to be taken down at any cost.

All that would be needed is the opportune moment.

xxx

"So how long have you been around here for?" Bonnie asked Vaughn as they walked down the crowded street.

Thad been out and about for the last hour and a half, most of which was spent with Galen showing her around the French Quarter (the last time she had been she had only been just a few years old and with her Grams) and asking various questions about her but now she wanted to know more about him.

"I've been coming and going for about five years now," he answered her. "I came back here a few months ago and that was when I met Lucy."

Vaughn first came to New Orleans when his tattoo appeared on his hand. He knew the power of the witches here were unmatched anywhere else. If he was going to find out what was going on with his, it would be here. And it was.

He learnt everything about his Hunter side and his destiny here.

"Well, this is interesting," they heard a familiar feminine British accent speak from behind them.

"Rebekah?" Bonnie arched a brow when she saw the blonde Original vampire standing not ten feet from them. "What are you doing here?" she asked her.

Surely her friends haven't enlisted the help of the Originals to track her down. She told Matt she was safe where she was and made sure he would pass the message on to everyone else.

"Not here for you if that's what you're wondering," she grinned and eyed the hunter standing next to the witch. "My family and I have left Mystic Falls for good. We had no reason to stay any longer."

Rebekah took a step closer to Bonnie and rolled her eyes when Vaughn stood protectively in front of the witch, a threatening look on his face as he eyed the vampire.

"Oh, relax," she said to him. "I have no intentions of hurting her or taking her back to Mystic Falls," a smile crossed her face. "In fact, it will be fun seeing how everyone back there will handle not having their pet witch at their beck and call. I give it a week before they mess something up."

Bonnie sent a glare at Rebekah for using the term 'pet' to describe her and she could see Vaughn tightly clutching a stake that was concealed under his shirt, tucked into the side of his jeans.

"Do I need to put another stake in your heart?" Vaughn threated the Original.

"I wish you the best of luck trying," she shot back with a smirk.

Last time he caught her by surprise and when she was weak, she was ready for him this time. He wouldn't get within five feet of her before she would throw him away from her since she wasn't able to kill him due to the Hunter's Curse and she really didn't fancy getting haunted by him for the next couple of decades.

Bonnie rolled her eyes at the two supernaturals and her hand wrapped around Vaughn's wrist, moving it away from the hidden stake.

"What do you want, Rebekah?" Bonnie questioned her, her hand not

"I just saw some familiar faces and thought I'd be polite and say hello," Rebekah replied with a smile that had Bonnie narrowing her eyes at the Original.

"Somehow I doubt that," Bonnie shot back and went to take a step forward but Vaughn's hand curling around her arm prevented her from doing so. "What do you want?" she asked again.

"I don't want anything, Bonnie," she replied truthfully. "But I am curious to know what happened on the island and why you are still with the hunter," she said and shot a distasteful look at Vaughn. She was still bitter about the exploding stake device he threw at her. "Blink twice if he's holding you against your will," she whispered jokingly.

The Original was met by matching glares from the witch and the hunter.

"Alright, alright," she shook her head with a chuckle. "I know when I'm not wanted, but before I go, I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Rebekah didn't know where the sudden concern for the witch came from but she just wanted to make sure she was okay.

"I'm fine, I'm safe," Bonnie answered her. "I'm with my cousin."

"Well, that's good. You'll be better off without all of them back at Mystic Falls," she responded with a smile.

Rebekah never understood why Bonnie allowed them to treat her the way they did. Though, in a way, Rebekah could relate. No matter how much she did for Niklaus and no matter how much she was there for him when no one else was, he never appreciated her. He would constantly take her for granted and that is exactly what everyone back in Mystic Falls did to Bonnie.

"Oh, and Bonnie?" Rebekah said just as she was about to turn away from them, her eyes firmly on Bonnie. "Just a friendly warning, Marcel keeps the witches of this town on a very tight leash so be careful what you do around here."

"Marcel?" Bonnie turned to Vaughn as Rebekah walked away from them and disappeared into the busy crowd. "Who is that?"

"The self-proclaimed king of New Orleans," he replied with an eye roll. "And also a vampire."

There was no vampire in this world who Vaughn despised more than he did Marcel.

"King of New Orleans?" Bonnie repeated with a raised brow. "He's calling himself a king, I hate him already and what's the deal with his hold on the witches or whatever?"

Vaughn began to lead Bonnie back through the street and towards their car. "I don't know all the details, he keeps them pretty quiet, only those in his inner circle know but he has banned the witches here from using witchcraft unless they have his permission," he explained to her. "And those who have tried to practice in secret have wound up dead – usually by a public execution."

"That's insane," Bonnie gaped and Vaughn nodded his agreement. "Why don't they just leave?"

"Would you leave if vampire's over took your town and started telling you what you can and can't do?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No, I'd fight back."

Vaughn felt himself smile at her words. He loved that she had the fighting spirit. "And so are they," he said to her, his voice lowering. Marcel had spies everywhere; he had to be careful with what he said out in the open. "They are biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment."

Just when Bonnie opened her mouth to ask another question, she saw him shake his head. "Later, sweetheart," he said and placed a hand on her lower back to steer her through the busy street. "I'll answer whatever you want, just not here."

She understood what he meant. Someone like Marcel was bound to have eyes and ears all over the city so she dropped the topic (for now anyway) and just enjoyed her time with Galen as he continued to show her around though if she were honest, she just spent majority of the time focusing on the feelings of his hand on her back and the heat of his large hand seeping through the fabric of her shirt.

"Thank you for today," Bonnie said when they returned back to the house. "It's been a while since I've actually have fun," she admitted and hung her jacket up on the coat rack near the door.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he replied with the smile that Bonnie had come to love seeing so much. "Whenever you want to go out just come to me," he said and his hand rose to push her bangs away from her eyes.

He really loved her eyes, such a beautiful green.

Vaughn's fingers brushed lightly over the soft skin of her cheek as Bonnie moved closer to him, biting down on her lip (something she finds herself doing a lot around him).

"You're so beautiful," he sighed as the pad of his thumb brushed against the corner of her lips. When a slight blush fanned her cheeks, he felt this incredible urge to kiss her and it was difficult to hold himself back.

He kept trying to tell himself that she was too young, too innocent but that only made his resistance harder.

He needed her.

"Oh good! You two are back," Lucy's voice sounded through the hall which made Bonnie jump away from Vaughn - who was both pissed and thankful for the interruption. "I need your help with something," Lucy said and looked to Vaughn and waited for no answer as she dragged him away from Bonnie.

Bonnie inhaled deeply when the two of them left her sight and leant against the front door. She almost couldn't believe what had just happened (or nearly happened she should say).

xxx

"We have a bit of a problem," Lucy said to Vaughn as soon as they reached the kitchen. "I managed to get Marcel to agree to let us do the ritual with other witches from here but he insists on being there and on meeting Bonnie beforehand."

"That's not happening," Vaughn immediately replied and folded his arms over his broad chest.

There was no way in this universe or any other that he was letting Marcel anywhere near Bonnie. He didn't care what he had to do, it just wasn't happening.

"Whether we like it or not, it is happening, we just need to be prepared and keep a close eye on him," Lucy said.

She was just as against this as Vaughn was but she also knew that there was no point in fighting with Marcel because whatever he wanted it was just a matter of time before he got it.

"And rather we just give him what he wants and get it over with otherwise he will obsess over it and you know what will happen then," she added, a hint of disgust lacing her tone as she spoke. "I need to go out later and talk to some other witches about the ritual and Marcel so please stay here and keep an eye out for her. I wouldn't put it past him to come by while I'm not here."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to her," he said to put the already stressed out witch at some ease.

"I know you won't," she then let out a laugh. "For some strange, messed up, unknown reason I trust you with her."

xxx

Bonnie was just lounging around in her room when Lucy came in and tossed the cordless house phone on her bed.

"You should call your dad to let him know everything's alright," she said with a smile. "Apparently he's been hounding Abby with phone calls wondering how you're doing and if you're okay," she added with a light laugh.

"How much does he know?" Bonnie asked her as her fingers curled around the phone and picked it up.

Lucy shrugged. "He knows that you are with me but he doesn't know where, he thought it would be better that way," she told her. "Now, I am heading out but Vaughn's still here if you need someone."

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Got to talk to some other witches," she answered.

"Is this about that Marcel guy?" Bonnie couldn't help but ask and she noticed Lucy freeze when she mentioned Marcel. "I ran into Rebekah Mikaelson while we were out and she told me to watch out for Marcel so I asked Galen who he was and he told me about his hold on the witches here," she explained before Lucy could ask where she heard of him.

"Rebekah Mikaelson is here?"

Bonnie nodded. "The entire Original family is but she assured me their reason for being here has nothing to do with me."

"Of course it doesn't, their return has to do with Klaus' relationship with Marcel," the older Bennett responded.

"With the way they both treat witches I can't say I'm surprised they know each other," Bonnie muttered. "How do they know each other, do you know?"

"Klaus turned Marcel into a vampire and made him into what he is today and when Klaus left this city Marcel took over

"He sounds like a total asshole," Bonnie commented.

"He is a total asshole," Lucy said with a grin that soon faded as she took on a more serious demeanour. "Look, I don't want you to worry about Marcel, let me deal with him and if he is ever around just stay close to Vaughn, okay?"

"Okay, I will," Bonnie agreed and the familiar smile once again crossed Lucy's face.

"Well, I'm off," she stated and jumped off the bed and to her feet. "I will see you later tonight and don't forget to call your dad; he's worrying himself crazy according to Abby."

With that and a final goodbye, Lucy left Bonnie alone in her room.

Bonnie dialled the familiar number and held the phone up to her ear and waited for her father to pick up.

"Hello?" his strong voice flooded the receiver when he picked up after the fourth ring.

"Hey, dad," her soft voice replied.

"Oh, Bonnie," she could hear him sigh with relief at the sound of her voice. "I was getting worried, are you okay?" before she could even get a word in he continued talking. "I know Abby said you were fine but I wasn't going to believe that until I heard it from you."

"I'm fine, dad," she answered him with a light laugh. "Abby was right, I'm fine."

Bonnie didn't even realise how much she missed her dad. She must have spent at least half an hour on the phone with her father, with most of it being him making sure she really was okay and in no danger and was safe and after all her reassurance he still wasn't entirely convinced but she had a feeling he wouldn't be until she was back home where he could keep an eye on her.

She too hoped she would be home soon but knowing that as soon as she was she would be going back to being the local witch who fixed everyone's problems expect her own and Bonnie really did not want that.

Maybe her dad could come out here for a bit?

She would have to remember to ask Abby next time she spoke to her.

Another half hour later, Bonnie –not really wanting to be alone- found herself seeking Galen out after the phone call with her father. She knocked three times of the slightly ajar door before sticking her head it. She saw him sitting on the bed, sharpening one of his knives.

"Hey," she greeted softly as she walked into the room. "You busy?" she asked and eyed the sharp knife in his hand.

"Never for you," he said with a slight grin as he placed the knife on the bed before he got up and met her in the middle of the room.

She couldn't help but smile at his words.

"Everything alright?" he asked and looked over her quickly.

She nodded her head and tried to put a smile on her face. "Yeah, I just spoke to my dad and Lucy's out." Before he managed to ask, she spoke again. "I don't need to talk or anything, I just didn't really want to be on my own right now."

He gave her a small but warm smile. "Come here," he said and he gently pulled her closer to him, she was surprised when his arms circled around her and held her close to him.

It took all of a second for her to relax in his arms and it was something that she could definitely get used to.

Bonnie's head rested on his chest and she could hear the beat of his heart, something she found incredibly soothing - that combined with his arms wrapped tightly around her. She felt so safe and warm wrapped up in his arms, she felt so safe and warm with him- wether he was touching her or not.

She wasn't used to feeling so comfortable around someone so quickly. She had known Jeremy her whole life but it even took her awhile to let herself enjoy being in his arms.

Everything just seemed to come naturally with Galen. She had never felt uncomfortable around him. She had never felt frightened by him.

He was the first to pull back but he still kept her close, his arms slipping down to wrap loosely around her waist. She looked up at him to find him staring back at her, the look the glassed over his eyes made it impossible for Bonnie to stop herself from standing on her toes and pressing her lips to his in an almost feather light kiss.

She couldn't explain why she did it, she just had to.

It was just a tiny kiss (it might not even be able to be classified as a kiss) but just the feel on her lips on his was enough make something stir between them.

Bonnie pulled back from him as quick as she kissed him and bit down on her lip to hide her embarrassment. "I'm sorry-

She couldn't even finish her apology. It was like something inside of him (inside of both of them) snapped because before she knew it her back was pressed against the closest wall and Vaughn's lips were back on hers.

Bonnie wasn't able to hold back the moan that escaped as his lips moved hot and rough against her own. One of his hands rested on her jaw while the other gripped her hip, using it to press them closer together.

This was unlike any kiss Bonnie had ever experienced before (given she didn't have a lot, mostly just with Jeremy), it had her knees weak (that God she was pressed between him and the wall) and her mind turned to mush the second his lips touched hers.

All see could feel was him.

They parted quickly for air but his mouth found hers again in no time, this time their tongues met in a fierce battle that had Bonnie clutching at Vaughn's shoulders while both his hands gripped her hips before lifting her off the ground, her legs immediately wrapping around his waist.

"Oh, wow," Bonnie breathed out heavily as his mouth moved away from hers to allow them both to breathe in some much needed oxygen, but as Bonnie soon found out, he was far from finished.

Bonnie's eyes fluttered shut, her head rest against the wall behind her and her fingers ran through his short, blonde hair as he trailed hot kisses along her jaw and slowly made his way down her neck, nipping lightly at her collar bone.

He held her body to the wall with his and his hands ran slowly along her jean covered thighs and up her torso, his fingertips dragging the hem of her shirt with them as his rough yet gentle hands moved up to the side of her breasts before reversing the motion.

Bonnie wasn't able to form a single coherent thought or word as his lips returned back to hers. The kiss was slower and less demanding than the last but the way his lips moved against hers with such passion and heat that she had never felt before had her stomach in knots.

But it all got too much for the young witch when the hunter began to grind against her and she could feel his excitement pressing against her. She tore her lips from his and her legs untangled from his waist and hit the ground.

Her hands moved to his chest and pushed him back, she caught a glimpse of confusion, worry and concern in his eyes before she quickly moved passed him and left the room.

She managed to make it back to her room without her legs giving out on her and immediately fell on her bed, all thoughts going back to the hunter in the other room who she just ran out on.

It wasn't that she didn't like what had just happened, Gods she did but she felt like she would burst from anything more.

She had never felt that much intensity before from something that wasn't magically related and it frightened her.

xxx

**Gosh! I am so very sorry about the wait for this chapter. There has just been so much going on in my life lately that whenever I did have the time I just couldn't be bothered :( and I get distracted easily….**

**Thank you so much for the feedback, I love reading all your comments and thoughts! They always make me smile. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and hopefully I won't take as long to get the next chapter out :)**

**I know it was a little too soon for a make out session but considering that this isn't going to be a very long story I figured why not? Lol plus I am trying to make the chapters long so a lot happens in them. And blame the song I was listening to at that time (Control by Garbage) **

**As you have probably already gathered from this chapter, this is going to be a mini crossover with The Originals spin off, some characters will appear (definitely Marcel and Rebekah) and that is all I'll say for now because I'd hate to spoil too much l ;)**

**Any mistakes you find in this chapter I apologise for (I am lazy therefore I did not edit this) and please let me know what you think by dropping a review!**

**I know I skipped over a lot of things in this chapter but next chapter will have more depths to the Bonnie/Vaughn scenes thanks to the make out scene!**

**Next chapter Bonnie comes across Rebekah again and gets some surprising advice, she meets Marcel for the first time, Vaughn goes to visit the seer again where a lot will be explained, both she and Vaughn have some difficulty getting over their kiss plus Vaughn's thoughts on all of it and more!**

**I'm going to try to do most of the next chapter from Vaughn's perspective, too.**

**xxx**


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